Lubricated valve for low pressures



a M1, 1939 a 2,145,628

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE runmoa'ran VALVE FOR. LOW rnnss WES,

Foster Millikan, Lawrence, N. Y., assignor to Milliken Valve-Corporation, a corporation of New York Application July 2, 1937', Serial No. 151,633

'2Clalms. ((1251-93 This invention relates to an improved lubrithe seat 28 will not cause the plug to bind but cated plug valve. will permit only very slight vertical movement The valve which is the subject-matter of this 'of the plug. The bottom cover 26 is recessed to invention is primarily intended to meet the dereceive spring 32 and this recess likewise serves mand for an inexpensive valve for comparatively as a ub n receptacle to s pply lubricant 5 low linepressures which is sosimple in construcunder the bottom of the plug. This lubricant tion that the most ignorant laborer cannot fail lubricates the contact area of the plug with the to operate it properly. Features of this valve are bearing surface 30, and also tends to assist spring that it will open and close quickly with only a .32 in maintaining an upward pressure on the plug quarter-turn; under normal conditions it can be so that shoulder20 will bear against seat l8. 1 furnished fully lubricated and will not require The stem- 34 is squared to receive the usual any re-lubrication for a reasonable period of time operating wrench and is recessed to provide a s it will operate under the least possible upkeep.- lubricant receptacle 36. Since this valve will fre- It will give a. positive shut-ofi when in closed posiquently be used in service where re-lubrication tion, and there are normally no projecting parts a is notnecessary, the lubricant receptacle 36 is 15 to catch the operators clothing. Also the valve shown asbeing closed by the'simple countersunk. has no parts which can be easily removed and so screw 38. Obviously other forms of closure can lost or stolen. be employed such as the ordinary form of pres- The valve which is here described is a-cylinsure screw or if desiredspecial types of pressure drical plug lubricated valve of the general type screwscan be used as shown and described in described in my copendlng application, Serial No. the aforesaid application, Serial No. 56,375. As 66,375, filed February 29, 1936, which more fully an' alternative, I may use a nipple containinga describes the advantages of this general type of check valve. valve. The lubricant receptacle 36 opens at the bot- Myinvention can be readily understood by reftom into a horizontal passage 40 which runs dia-- 25 erence to the illustrative example shown in the metrically through the plug with its ends openaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents ing into horizontal lubricant channel 42. It-is to a vertical section-of the body showing the plug be noted that channel 42 extends up and around in place; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the'body shoulder 20 so that the lubricant in this channel plug and bottom cpver showing the valve in open can assist in sealing the head of the valve and 30 position; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionthrough can supply lubricant to the bearlng between the middle of the valve showing the valve in shoulder 20 and seat'lfl. As is well known, if closed position; Fig. 4 is a section similar to the valve is to be used for service wherere-lubri- Fig. 3 showing the valve with the plug in open cation will be necessary, a ball check-valve isposition, and Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the valve preferably provided between lubricant receptacle 35 (looking upward) with the bottom cover removed. 36 and passage 40.

In the drawing, the numeral lfl. deslgnates the A lower horizontal lubricant channel 44 is valve bodyhaving ports l2 which are here shown formed in the plug near its bottom and the chanas threaded to take pipe connections. Obviously nels 42 and 44 are connected by the two diametother types of connections could be employed rically.oppositevertical channels 46 which also such as fianged'joints. The numeral l4 desigare cut in'the plug. These vertical channels run nates the plug which is'adapted to. pivot in the all the way to the bottom of the plug and conbody. Near the upper part of the body I0 is the nect with the small horizontal lubricant channels ring-shaped portion 15 having a seating surface 48 (see Fig. 5) so that the lubricant in the var- I8 adapted to bear against the shoulder 20 of ious lubricant channels-is directly connected to 45 the plug. The body Ill is'arranged with a stop the lubricantin thebottom cover 26. l 22 which engages the plug stop 24 to limit rota- Two additional vertical lubricant channelsfll tion of the plug to one-quarter turnin opening are provided, but these, instead of being cut in or closing the valve. The body It is provided the plug, are cut in the body. They are arranged so with a bottom cover 28 which seats itself'against diametrically opposite to each other on an axis the body on the. bodyseat 28, It will be noted which forms an angle of 90 with the ams of the in Fig. 2 that the cover 26 extends inwardly as channels 46 when the valve is open as shown in indicated at 33 to provide a bottom bearing for Fig. 4, with the result that the open faces'of the the plug I 4. This plug should be made of such channels 46' and the, channels 50 are opposite length that screwing the cover plate .26 against each other when the valve is closed as shown in as Fig. 3. By virtue of this arrangement, it is not necessary for the vertical channels 50 to run up and down far enough to overlie the horizontalchannels 62 and ,44 though they may do so as shown. Lubricant will be supplied to the channels 50 from the channels 48 when the valve is in closed position. 'I have found that it is particularly advantageous to use this arrangement wherein the .vertical lubricant channels overlie each other in one position of the valve, for the contact of the lubricant from one to the other seems to keep the surface of'the lubricant from becoming caked or hardened in any way so. that its efliciency will be lowered. Also by this arrangement, in opening or closing this valve, neither of the vertical lubricant ducts in the face of the plugcross the port openings in the body,

thus preventing the washing away of lubricantin said'ducts by the liquid or gas flowing through the line when same are exposed in passingthe body ports. This is a most important feature in any lubricated valve, giving effective service. with the use of a minimum amount of lubrcan't.

In like manner, in opening or closing this valve the ports of the plug never cross the body lubri- This again is a most important fea cant usual with such a construction, which is closed position. r

After the valve parts arefabricated and prop erly machined, the plug is inserted in the body.

so that the valve is in the closed positioned shown in Fig. 3. Spring 32 is inserted in cover 26 and the cover is filled with heavy, viscous lubricant andthen screwed into position. Similar lubricant is then forced into the plug lubricant receptacle 36 and pressure is maintained until this lubricant fills all the ducts in the plug and body, setting up lubricant pressure in the lower lubrie cant chamber. The plug is preferably operated several times while the lubricant is still under pressure. The pressure is then taken 01! and the screw 38 inserted.

ther wall of the plug is in perfect contact with the valve body, thus preventing what is known as port lea At the same time, the line pressure may exert some pressure either directly under the plug, or against the lubricant in one of the vertical channels, which pressure is transmitted to the lubricant in the bottom cover 28 tending to assist spring 32 in holding shoulder 20 against seat l8 thereby preventing head leaks. In fact, the higher the line pressure, the tighter the head becomes, which is contrary to the fact with most valves.

It is further to be noted that this type head construction is obtained without the use of packing or gasketsin the head and this solid head construction is a feature greatly appreciated by users of valves who are accustomed through necessity to frequently replacing packing and gaskets.

It is to be understood that the example described is given only by way of illustration and that the same may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What, I claim is:

1. In a valve of the type described having a body with a plug seat, aplug rotatable in said seat and ports in the body and the plug adapted to be moved into and out of registration by such rotation, a coacting seat in the body and a shoulder .on the plug to form a head seat when the plug is forced towards the head, a bottom cap for the body removable for insertion of the plug, a circumferential bottom seat for the plug formed on said cap, a pair of diametrically oppositely arranged vertical lubricant channels formed in the face of the plug, a second pair of oppositely arranged vertical lubricant channels formed in the face of the body, an upper circumferential lubricant duct formed in the plug adjacent the top, of the plug and connecting with the vertical lubricant channels, a lower circumferential lubricant duct formed in the plug adjacent the base of the plug and connecting with the vertical lubricant channels, and horizontal lubricant passages of substantial cross-sectional area cut in the bottom surface of the plug and connecting directly with the oppositely disposed vertical lubricant channels formed in the plug, said hori- .zontal lubricant passages forming a symmetrical design on the bottom surface of the plug so that lubricant pressure will act in these passages freely and equally against the bottom surface of the .plug', and means for introducing lubricant under pressure into such channels, ducts and p ssa es c.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1 having horizontal lubricant passages of substanhal crosssectlonal area cut in the bottom surface of the plug running diametrically inwardly from the point where the oppositely disposed vertical lubricant channels cut in.the plug reach the base of the plug, a centrally disposed recess formed in the bottom cover, said horizontal lubricant passages connecting directly with said recess.

FOSTER MILLIKEN.

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